Sights in Haifa
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Baha'i Gardens
With every tree trimmed to perfection and every blade of grass seemingly cut to the exact same height, the 18 terraces of the Baha'i Gardens are truly a sight to behold.
The gardens are one of the two great holy places for members of the Baha'i faith, an independent movement that originated in Persia in the middle of the 19th century. The Baha'i are based in the area because the faith's founder, Baha'ullah spent 25 years imprisoned in nearby Akko.
The Baha'i faith is one of the world's youngest religions, established only in the middle of the 19th century. Its central belief is in equality and unity, and it clings to the notion that many prophets have appeared throughout h…
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Bat Galim Beach
Ports tend to make a mess of the coast so it's not too surprising that Haifa's beaches are infamously toxic and strewn with garbage. Case in point is Bat Galim Beach , considered one of the best surf breaks in the country and host to international competitions - surfers constantly lament its piles of rusting metal, bricks, concrete, disused furniture and other refuse.
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German Colony
At least once during your stay in Haifa, walk up Ben-Gurion Ave from Jaffa Rd and enjoy the splendour that is the German Colony backed by the cascading lights of the Baha'i Gardens. The colony (really just this street), was renovated in the 1990s into the city's premier address for shopping and dining, with many of its buildings restored and given plaques that describe the history of the area. Haifa's tourist information centre is also located here.
Part of the renovation required that the entire street be moved 168cm, so that its centre divide would line up with the staircase of Baha'i Gardens.
The colony was established in 1869 by the Templers (not to be confused with th…
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Hof HaCarmel Beach
Ports tend to make a mess of the coast so it's not too surprising that Haifa's beaches are infamously toxic and strewn with garbage. If you really fancy some sun-worshipping in Haifa, you should head for the much more attractive Hof HaCarmel Beach, in the south of the city. The beach has an inviting promenade with a number of restaurants and cafés, some of them upscale places serving steak and seafood. Folk dancing is held here on Saturdays (11:00 February to June and 19:00 July to January).
Trains from Haifa Merkaz come here every 20 minutes for around ₪5.
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HaShaqet Beach
Ports tend to make a mess of the coast so it's not too surprising that Haifa's beaches are infamously toxic and strewn with garbage. You might want to try the religious HaShaqet Beach , located on the east side of Rambam Medical Centre, which is open to men Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and open to women Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Saturday is mixed.
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Stella Maris Carmelite Monastery
The Carmelites are a Catholic order that originated in the late 12th century when a band of Crusaders, inspired by the prophet Elijah, opted for a hermetic life on the western slopes of Mt Carmel (hence the name). The desired solitude was rarely granted as, over the centuries, the Carmelites suffered Muslim persecution, frequently having to abandon their monasteries.
Occasionally, the Carmelites did have a hand in their own misfortune, as in 1799 when they extended their hospitality to Napoleon during his campaign against the Turks. The French lost their battle for the region and the Carmelites lost their monastery.
The present monastery and church, built over what the Car…
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Elijah's Cave
One of Israel's holiest sites (a holy place for three faiths), Elijah's Cave is where the prophet Elijah is believed to have hidden from King Ahab and Queen Jezebel after he slew the 450 priests of Ba'al (Kings 1:17-19).
There is also a Christian tradition that the Holy Family sheltered here on their return from Egypt, hence the alternative Christian name, Cave of the Madonna. Enter the cave in modest dress.
Although prior to 1948 the cave was a mosque dedicated to Khadar (the Green Prophet), Elijah in Muslim guise, these days the rock chamber is usually crammed full of praying Haredim. Outside, the garden is a favourite picnic spot for local Christian Arabs.
The cave is lo…
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Clandestine Immigration & Navy Museum
The Clandestine Immigration & Navy Museum may sound a bit bland but it's actually quite fascinating and worth a visit. The museum deals with the successes and failures of the Zionists' illegal attempts to infiltrate into British-blockaded Palestine in the 1930s and '40s. The centrepiece of the museum (quite literally - the building has been constructed around it) is a boat, the Af-Al-Pi-Chen (Hebrew: Nevertheless), whose hold carried 434 refugees to Palestine in 1947.
The boat was intercepted by the British and its passengers were forced into internment camps in Cyprus. Other stories are told about the famed Exodus, a ship that carried over 4500 passengers that was forced…
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Carmel Hai Bar
The Carmel Hai Bar is a functioning wildlife preserve where wild goats, wild sheep and deer are bred and monitored until they can be released into the wild. The entrance to the reserve is on Rte 672, about 300m past the Haifa University. It's a good idea to call first as hours are sporadic.
The preserve is on the edge of Carmel National Park, known locally as the Shveytsaria HaK'tana (Little Switzerland). It is renowned for its fertility; vineyards covered the area in ancient times and the name Carmel is derived from the Hebrew Kerem-El (Vineyard of God). For some pleasant walking or for a picnic, take bus No 92 from Herzl St in Hadar or Carmel Centre and just get off whe…
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Reuben & Edith Hecht Museum
The basement of the Eshkol Tower houses the impressive Reuben & Edith Hecht Museum , which houses a fine collection of archaeological artefacts relating to Jewish history before the Diaspora. There is plenty of ancient pottery, weapons and even a pair of 2100-year-old petite-sized sandals. The museum highlight is a 5th-century-BC Greek ship found near Caesarea in 1984. It has been carefully rebuilt and placed in a specially designed annexe of the museum.
An art wing upstairs contains sections on French Impressionist and Jewish art from the 19th and 20th centuries. Among the works are paintings by Monet, Pissaro and Van Gogh.
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University of Haifa
One of Israel's premier places of higher learning, University of Haifa , 5.5km south of Carmel Centre, covers all areas of academia, but specialises in the liberal arts. There is another spin on 'higher learning' here as the university is perched spectacularly on the summit of Mt Carmel with views of Haifa and far beyond. The best place to take in the panorama is from the observation deck of the 27-storey Eshkol Tower, which was designed by the renowned Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer.
Tours of the university can be made, but by advanced booking only; call to make a reservation.
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Dagon Grain Silo & Museum
There is no reason to visit the port area, unless you are catching a ferry to Cyprus or have a keen interest in seeing Israel's entrepôt for grain. The enormous Dagon Grain Silo & Museum is the distinctive fortresslike construction on Ha'atzmaut St that dominates the skyline of lower Haifa. There's a museum within the plant where you can take a free guided tour to learn something about the other oldest profession: the cultivation, handling, storing and distribution of grain.
Tours are at 10:30 Sunday to Friday, and the museum closes for the day once the tour is over.
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Zoo
The northern area of the park, Gan Ha'em, is given over to an extremely attractive small Zoo , which sports an aviary, a reptile house, and microhabitats that are home to bears, lions, monkeys and other creatures. There is also a rogue peacock that bolts past unsuspecting visitors (watch out!). Within the grounds of the zoo you can also enter the M Stekelis Museum of Prehistory, the Biological Museum and the Natural History Museum.
Hours for the museums are the same as the zoo and one ticket is good for all the sites.
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Arab Market
You'll get a feel for Haifa's grizzled old Christian-Arab quarter, Wadi Nisnas, as your roam around the Arab Market. The sandy block architecture, heavily laden donkey carts and smells of cumin and cardamom firmly place Haifa back in the Middle East. The market displays of public art, hardware shops, narrow alleys and plenty of felafel stands to suppress your hunger. In December and January there is a unique ongoing festival here that celebrates Hanukkah, Christmas and Ramadan.
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National Museum of Science, Planning & Technology
An exception to Hadar's shabbiness is the elegant 1920s concoction of European Orientalism that is the National Museum of Science, Planning & Technology . Sometimes referred to as the Technodea, the museum specialises in interactive exhibits, of which it has more than 250, and it's a great place to visit with children. Audio guides are available for a reasonable around ₪3.
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Gan Ha'em
On the crest of Carmel is Gan Ha'em , a cool swath of greenery with an arcade of shops and cafés, and an amphitheatre which hosts summer evening concerts. The northern area of the park is given over to an extremely attractive small zoo. Within the grounds of the zoo you can also enter the M Stekelis Museum of Prehistory, the Biological Museum and the Natural History Museum.
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Railway Museum
Housed in the old Haifa East train station, the Railway Museum features a collection of stamps, photographs, tickets, timetables and rolling stock. Old timetables remind you that you could at one time travel from here by train south to Cairo or north to Beirut or Damascus. To get there follow HaPalyam Ave past the mosque - the museum is a few minutes walk further, on the left.
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Mane Katz Museum
As you stroll behind the clutch of five-star hotels in the Carmet Centre you'll spot the entrance for the Mane Katz Museum . Mane Katz (1894-1962), an influential member of the group of Jewish Expressionists based in Paris earlier in the 20th century, was given this home by the Haifa city authorities in return for the bequest of his works to the city.
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Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art
On HaNassi, next to the Dan Carmel hotel, is the somewhat incongruous Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art and its unique collection of Far Eastern works. The museum, founded by Felix Tikotin in 1957, features everything from 14th-century Buddhist scroll art to pottery, metal work and newer exhibits on Japanese animation and even Pokémon.
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National Maritime Museum
The National Maritime Museum deals with the history of shipping in the Mediterranean area. The collection contains old maps, models of ancient ships, navigation equipment and bits and pieces of sunken ships. For around ₪45 you can buy a combo ticket for this museum, the Haifa Art Museum and the Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art.
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Ursula Malbin Sculpture Garden
West of the Baha'i Gardens is the Ursula Malbin Sculpture Garden , a small park filled with contemporary bronze sculptures focusing mainly on children at play. Ursula Malbin is a Berlin-born sculptor who fled Nazi Germany in 1939. Since 1967 she has split her time working in Ein Hod and Switzerland.
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Biological Museum
Within the grounds of the zoo you can also enter the Biological Museum . Hours for the museum are the same as the zoo and one ticket is good for all the sites in the zoo grounds including the M Stekelis Museum of Prehistory and the Natural History Museum.
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Natural History Museum
Within the grounds of the zoo you can enter the Natural History Museum . Hours for the museum are the same as the zoo and one ticket is good for all the sites in the zoo grounds including the Biological Museum and the M Stekelis Museum of Prehistory.
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M Stekelis Museum of Prehistory
Within the grounds of the zoo you can enter the M Stekelis Museum of Prehistory . Hours for the museum are the same as the zoo and one ticket is good for all the sites in the zoo grounds including the Biological Museum and the Natural History Museum.
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Open Air Museum
Near Eshkol Tower, check out the Open Air Museum , a collection of ancient buildings brought here from other parts of Israel and reconstructed. There are several buildings from the Negev and an oil press from Kastra, on the Carmel Coast.
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